1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
This invention relates to the field of massage and therapeutic body treatments. More specifically, it relates to a massage table designed for accommodating the body shape of a woman lying in a face down position, but that may also be used to support a man or woman in this or other positions, and is designed particularly for use by a couple in an intimate setting for the mutual satisfaction of both persons engaged in the massage.
2. Background Art
A great number of people enjoy the benefits of massage. Whereas early massage treatment was limited mainly to those persons experiencing back pain or needing rehabilitation from a neck or back trauma, increasingly the art of massage is being used purely for relaxation and enjoyment. There are a number of schools and programs for becoming a skilled masseur or masseuse, and are also a number of instructional courses, videos, books, and other learning devices by which a person may learn to give either a basic or a more complex massage with relative ease. Massages have evolved over the past fifty years, and today many massage treatments incorporate different elements, for example the introduction of warm or cool elements placed against the receiving person's skin. The massage may be applied delicately, or may be more of a deep tissue massage, and may be focused on a particular area of the person's body. Most massage treatments begin with the person receiving the massage lying face down on a platform, table or other surface. The most common position for the person performing the massage treatment is standing adjacent to the receiving person and leaning over the person so as to apply the necessary pressure to various points along the person's body.
Early massage surfaces were called beds or tables, and were designed primarily for use in a clinical environment. Some of these early art tables include legs that can be adjusted so that the platform could be raised or lowered to accommodate the height of the masseur (or masseuse). In almost all cases the massage table required the masseur to be in a standing position, and the table comprised a flat surface and did not account for the body shape or contour of the person who would be receiving the massage.
Later, the need to have the receiving person visit a treatment center or remote location became undesirable, and more frequently the masseur would travel to the person's home, hotel or work site to perform the massage. It was during this time that the need for a collapsible and portable massage table became apparent. Today, the traveling masseuse/masseur represents a large segment of the massage industry. But these massage tables are not designed to accommodate the type of massage between a man and a woman (or same-sex couple) in an intimate setting, such as a massage performed by a husband for his wife. These massage tables are specifically not designed for the environment where such massage would likely take place, such as upon a bed. Furthermore, these tables do not address the problem of sliding laterally along the surface of the table as a result of the force of the massage. This is particularly a problem when the receiving person or massage subject has perspired onto the massage table surface or when oils or lotions have been applied to the person's skin.
There are a number of other problems associated with prior art massage tables for use in an intimate setting. For example, the necessity to have the massage table oriented to ensure the comfort and ease of use for both the person receiving the massage and the person giving the massage is not addressed. These prior art tables only allow a person to stand adjacent to one side of the table in order to perform the act of massage. If the legs are removed, these tables still have the disadvantage of being difficult for the masseur to position himself near enough to provide the required directional pressure and technique on the massage subject either while standing or kneeling next to the subject. The strain and discomfort caused to the masseur or the masseuse could become significant in a short period of time. It is even possible that the masseur or masseuse could need a massage to recover from this experience. Therefore, a need exists for a massage table or bed addressing these problems and others, and that is designed for massage performed in an intimate setting between two adults.
There are references found in the prior art attempting to address some of these problems identified above. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,431, a common portable massage bed is disclosed. This massage bed includes a multi-part frame, height and inclination adjustments, and a multi-section mattress. This massage bed may be disassembled and collapsed to accommodate transportation of the apparatus, and otherwise primarily addresses the needs of a traveling masseuse or masseur identified above. This apparatus discloses separate mattress sections and accompanying frame sections positioned adjacent and relative to each other, and therefore does not provide guidance to the comforts which can be provided by the current invention. It also does not teach the use of the structure by a person who is in a position other than standing to either side of the person receiving the massage, and does not permit a massage person to position himself nearer to the receiving person's hips and lower back. Its benefit is primarily to allow the user to disassemble the table and store it in a convenient carrying case. This invention also does not allow the masseur to have access to other areas of the receiving person's body while lying face down, particularly the area of a woman's breasts.
One attempt to provide a massage apparatus for a more intimate setting is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,734. This patent discloses the use of a head cushion support apparatus which may be positioned between two surfaces, such as the top and bottom mattress of a bed. This invention, while it allows the receiving person to lie on a more comfortable surface, does not solve the problems of discomfort described above, nor does it teach the ability to modify the bed surface to accomplish the other benefits of the current invention.
U.S. Pat. No. D364,464 discloses a design including a combined massage and treatment cushion with a pair of recesses for a receiving person's chest and chin. This design does partially eliminate the discomfort caused to a woman positioned face down on the cushion, but does not allow the masseur to have access to these other areas of the person's body. This design is also dependent on a number of assumptions about a person's body type, for example the position of a woman's breasts in relation to her neck, chin and head, and therefore may be limited to use by receiving persons having certain body sizes or shapes. It otherwise does not solve the problems identified above of providing a massage table that is appropriate for a more intimate massage.
Another reference that discloses an ability to accommodate a female body shape is U.S. Pat. No. 6,934,988. Like the design patent discussed in the previous paragraph, this invention includes a recess or pocket for supporting a woman's breasts when lying in a face down position. However, this table is limited to supporting the breasts, and not providing access to this area of the body. This invention does not provide the masseur with the ability to position himself behind and above the receiving person's hips, lower back and torso in order to provide a focused massage to those areas. It also does not disclose the ability of a masseur to be in the kneeling position while performing the act of massage.
Another such example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,689 issued to Lannertone. Unlike the pocketed recess of the previous two references, this patent teaches the use of spaced shoulder supports that may be slidable along a single axis to accommodate the body type of the receiving person. This patent does not come any closer than the other prior art references in teaching a support system that provides access to this area of a woman's body, and also does not disclose or suggest the other benefits of the current invention. Therefore these prior art references have failed to solve the problems presented with massage tables, particularly when used in an intimate setting.